


You've Been Commended

by Andrithir



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Band Of Brothers - Freeform, Commendation, Gen, Pre-Mass Effect 1, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-22 23:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8305658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andrithir/pseuds/Andrithir
Summary: After a disatrous combat drop, an unscathed First Lieutenant Adam Shepard returns to base to recieve an N7 Commendation.A Band of Brothers inspired drabble.





	

Anderson watched Shepard enter the officer's billet. His eyes were bloodshot, his shoulders were hunched over, and his arms swayed lifelessly beside him.

"How'd it go?" the Captain asked.

The Lieutenant looked at him, blinked and swallowed the bile rising up to his throat. He didn't stop, but he slowed his pace.

"Great," he answered dryly. "Fan-fucking-tastic."

Anderson frowned, and followed Shepard into the kitchenette. The N7 Lieutenant opened the fridge and fished inside for something. He pulled out a carton of juiced, opened it and sniffed the contents. His face contorted into disgust as he looked at the expiration date.

"Who the hell cleans up around here," he muttered, tossing the carton into the bin forcefully.

"What happened?" Anderson asked.

He leaned against the bench, and took another bite from his sandwich.

"Ship took a direct hit over the DZ," Adam answered, emotionless, looking at the Captain. "I got out, few others did."

"Everyone else?"

"Oh, they burned up in orbit."

"Shit happens, LT."

"Yeah, not my fault," Shepard laughed humorlessly.

He turned back to the fridge, and fished out a juice packet.

"Worst part is, everyone else above me died. So guess who gets to write the letters?"

"You know a recruiter came by," Anderson said, changing the subject as he finished the sandwich. "You've been commended."

Shepard pulled the straw from the packeted, stabbing it through the pouch.

"Oh hell," he hissed under his breath, shaking off the spilt juice.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Anderson asked.

"Yeah, commended, medal, gotcha," Shepard brushed.

Anderson shook his head, flicking away the crumbs off his fatigues.

"Adam, you're being selected for the N-Seven Program," he corrected.

"Swell," Shepard deadpanned. "Because I didn't even know how to get the kids groundside. Didn't even get fucking hit."

He cupped the juice packet and squeezed the content into his mouth, before searching for another one behind the sea of food.

"What'm I gonna write to the families?" Shepard asked, rhetorically. "I don't even know the kids."

"Same thing you always say," the Captain answered. "They died as heroes."

Shepard shot him an incredulous look.

"Heroes don't burn up in orbit."

A tense paused came over them as Shepard gave a tired sigh. He knocked something over in the fridge, causing half a dozen eggs to break on his boots.

Anderson winced as Shepard slammed the fridge door without a damn, and a cold slice of pizza in hand.

The Lieutenant stuffed half the slice into his mouth, and sat down. His eyes still glazed over.

"You should get some sleep, Lieutenant."

"I should write to the families."


End file.
